COAL BENEFICIATION AND ORGANIC SULFUR REMOVAL

Organic sulfur removal from coal with supercritical methanol as solven t, combining extraction and reaction, was studied. Experiments were ca rried out in a 300 mi batch reactor with Illinois coal at a coal/metha nol weight ratio of I : 1, 400-450 degrees C and various solvent densi ties and reaction times. Coal loss, similar to 25 wt%, was relatively insensitive to operating conditions. Sulfur removal was highest at low solvent density and high temperature, ranging, for 15 min reaction ti me, from 34 to 53% on a feed-to-product basis, or up to 66% if loss of coal is allowed for. Initial results obtained with a semicontinuous r eactor are briefly summarized, as well as recent work on oil agglomera tion at low oil levels followed by flotation.